Changes to the system will occur when the vouchers become available again, and will include two steps: “foreshadowing” of when large sets of vouchers will become available, and a new “virtual lobby” system.

The lobby is like a virtual queue. It will mean that people can be selected from the queue randomly, removing the need for people to be the fastest to hit the button to hold a specific date. Once all the rooms have been taken, the lobby for that day will be closed and anybody in the queue will be informed that they have unfortunately missed out this time. 

It is suggested that the new system will make bookings more transparent and easier.  Notifications of when new bookings will become available will also remove the need to constantly refresh the bookings website. 

Please follow GHS for further updates on the re-opening of MIQ allocations.

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The current pause in quarantine-free travel with New South Wales has been extended for the near future. As such,  from Tuesday 13th  July the NZ Government will institute ‘Quarantine Flights’ from New South Wales requiring eligible travellers on the flight to enter MIQ for 14 days.

The following people who are stranded in NSW are eligible for managed return flights:

• New Zealand citizens
• New Zealand permanent residents or resident visa holders
• Citizens of Australia or persons who hold current permanent residence visas (including a resident return visa) issued by the Government of Australia who last departed New Zealand after 5 April 2021
• Holders of New Zealand temporary visas who last departed New Zealand after 5 April 2021
• Spouses, civil union partners, de facto partners, dependent children or parents of dependent children of any of the above categories

The post Quarantine-free travel paused between NSW and NZ appeared first on Global Health Source.

For Melbourne, there will still be only five reasons to leave home:

• shopping for food and supplies
• authorised work and study
• care and caregiving
• exercise
• getting vaccinated

People will be able to travel further for exercise and shopping, with an expanded 10km radius.

Melburnians cannot travel to regional Victoria.

Restrictions will be lifted in regional Victoria from 11:59pm on Thursday, if testing shows there continues to be no new cases.

More information can be found here.

The post Melbourne’s lockdown extended appeared first on Global Health Source.

Travellers from Australia who do not meet these requirements and who are otherwise allowed to fly to New Zealand do not need a pre-departure test.

Children under two years old are exempt.

This step is being taken to ensure those people who have been in Melbourne during the infectious period of the original detected COVID-19 cases, but who have since travelled to another state, can’t fly on to New Zealand without first confirming they don’t have COVID-19.

The post New Zealand Travel Updates appeared first on Global Health Source.

GHS would encourage all critical health workers interested in New Zealand to take a moment to familiarise yourself with the programme.

Vaccination is key and everyone must do their part.

The post NZ Immunisation Program appeared first on Global Health Source.

The McGowan Government has made important changes to the Occupational Safety and Health Regulations 1996 that will increase protections for workers exposed to respirable crystalline silica in engineered stone product manufacturing, installation, stonemasonry and construction work.

WA is the first Australian State to require these more effective scans.

A low-dose high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan, supervised by an appointed medical practitioner, instead of the previously required chest X-ray is now mandatory for workers whose health is at risk of exposure to respirable crystalline silica.

HRCT scans are superior to chest X-rays and will assist in the early detection of silicosis.

Silicosis is a serious and potentially lethal occupational lung disease caused by exposure to respirable crystalline silica in the abovementioned industries.

The amendment will assist in the early detection of silicosis and follows the McGowan Government’s recent decision to halve the workplace exposure standard for respirable crystalline silica to further protect workers.

The post Increased Scanning Protection for workers exposed to Crystalline Silica appeared first on Global Health Source.